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(a) The owner shall confine within a building or secure enclosure every fierce, dangerous or vicious dog and shall not take such dog out of such building or secure enclosure unless such dog is securely muzzled.
(b) Every female dog in heat shall be kept confined in a building or secure enclosure, or in a veterinary hospital or boarding kennel, in such manner that such female dog cannot come in contact with another dog, except for intentional breeding purposes.
(c) Any animal described in divisions (a) and (b) of this section that is found at large shall be impounded by the Animal Warden and shall not be redeemed by the owner unless such redemption is authorized by a court having jurisdiction.
(d) The owner shall confine within a building any dog that barks or howls in a way to disturb the peace or annoy the adjoining neighbors, and if such confinement does not remedy the annoyance, the owner, upon being notified by the Animal Warden, shall remove such dog from the city.
(e) No dog, cat or other animal that is impounded for being a public nuisance shall be redeemed unless such redemption is authorized by a court having jurisdiction.
(1964 Code, § 503.08)
(f) Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(1964 Code, § 503.99)
(a) (1) As used in this section,
DANGEROUS DOG means and includes:
A. Any dog with a known propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked, to cause injury or to otherwise endanger the safety of human beings or domesticated animals;
B. Any dog which attacks a human being or domesticated animal without provocation; or
C. Any dog owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting or any dog trained for dog fighting.
(2) No dog shall be deemed dangerous if it harms or menaces anyone who has tormented or abused it.
(b) No person owning, harboring or having the care or custody of a dangerous dog shall suffer or permit such dog to go unconfined on the premises of such person. A dangerous dog is unconfined, as the term is used in this section, if such dog is not securely confined indoors or confined in a securely enclosed and locked pen or dog run area upon the premises of such person. Such pen or dog run area must also have secure sides and a secure top. If the pen or structure has no bottom secured to the sides, or if the dog is a type which burrows, the sides must be imbedded into the ground not less than one foot. Such pen or dog run area must be not closer than six feet from any property line.
(c) No person owning, harboring or having the care or custody of a dangerous dog shall suffer or permit such dog to go beyond the premises of such person, unless such dog is securely muzzled and restrained with a chain having a minimum tensile strength of 300 pounds and not exceeding three feet in length, and a double collar and double latch. Such dog shall be accompanied by an adult.
(d) No person shall own or harbor any dog for the purpose of fighting, or train, torment, badger, bait or use any dog for the purpose of causing or encouraging such dog to unprovoked attacks upon human beings or domesticated animals.
(e) No person shall possess with intent to sell, offer for sale, breed, buy or attempt to buy, within the city, any dangerous dog.
(Ord. 1987-108, passed 6-15-1987)
(f) Penalties under this section shall be as follows.
(1) Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree for a first offense and shall be fined not less than $100 and not more than $750 or imprisoned not more than 90 days, or both. The minimum fine provided for in this division (f) shall be mandatory and shall not be suspended or remitted unless the court finds that the defendant is indigent.
(2) For a second offense, whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree and shall be fined not less than $200 and not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. The minimum fine provided for in this division (f)(2) shall not be suspended or remitted unless the court finds that the defendant is indigent.
(3) In addition to the penalties set forth in divisions (f)(l) and (f)(2) of this section, any dangerous dog which attacks a human being or domesticated animal may be ordered destroyed when, in the court’s judgment, such dangerous dog represents a continuing threat of harm to human beings or domesticated animals. The Animal Warden shall be authorized by the court to deliver such dog to a doctor of veterinary medicine or the Animal Protective League for the purpose of humanely euthanizing such dog.
(1964 Code, § 503.081(f))
(a) Generally.
(1) Any dog or cat found running at large shall be taken up by the Animal Warden and impounded in a shelter designated as the city animal shelter, and there confined in a humane manner. Thereafter, such dog or cat may be disposed of in a humane manner if not claimed by its owner. Any dog or cat not claimed by its owner after the expiration of three days may be disposed of at the discretion of the Animal Warden, except as hereinafter provided in this chapter.
(2) The Animal Warden may transfer title of all animals so held to the Animal Protective League or the Dog Kennel of Cuyahoga County after the legal detention period has expired and the animal has not been claimed by its owner.
(3) When licensed dogs are found running at large, such dogs need not be impounded, but the owners of such dogs shall be subject to citation for a violation of this chapter.
(4) Immediately upon impounding dogs or other animals, the Animal Warden shall make every reasonable effort to notify the owners of such dogs, or other animals so impounded, and inform such owners of the conditions whereby they may regain custody of such animals.
(5) Animals other than dogs and cats may be impounded when found running at large within the city and may be disposed of in accordance with this chapter.
(1964 Code, § 503.04)
(b) Redemption.
(1) The owner of an impounded animal shall be entitled to resume possession of such impounded animal, except as hereinafter provided, upon payment of the impoundment fees set forth herein. Proof of ownership must be given and may include a license receipt, affidavits of neighbors, a photograph or other suitable evidence.
(2) Any other animal impounded under the provisions of this chapter may be reclaimed by the owner upon the payment of impoundment fees as provided in division (c) of this section.
(1964 Code, § 503.05)
(c) Fees. Any animal impounded hereunder may be reclaimed as herein provided upon payment by the owner to the Animal Warden of the sum of $20 for the first day and $20 for each day thereafter.
(1964 Code, § 503.06)
(a) No person shall set, use or maintain a leg-hold trap on land or water, for the purpose of taking a wild animal.
(b) The prohibitions contained in division (a) hereof shall not apply to the Animal Warden or persons working under the direction and control of the Animal Warden.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(1964 Code, § 503.19)
(a) No person shall keep or harbor any nondomestic animal, which, for the purposes of this section, shall include all felines (other than the domestic house cat), nonhuman primates, bears, wolves, coyotes, foxes, venomous and/or constricting reptiles, and any cross-breed of such animals which have similar characteristics of the animals specified herein.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
(1964 Code, § 503.07)
(a) No person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a felony offense of violence committed on or after May 22, 2012 or a felony violation of any provision of R.C. Chapter 959, R.C. Chapter 2923 or R.C. Chapter 2925 committed on or after May 22, 2012 shall knowingly own, possess, have custody of or reside in a residence with either of the following for a period of three years commencing either upon the date of release of the person from any period of incarceration imposed for the offense or violation or, if the person is not incarcerated for the offense or violation, upon the date of the person’s final release from the other sanctions imposed for the offense or violation:
(1) An unspayed or unneutered dog older than 12 weeks of age;
(2) Any dog that has been determined to be a dangerous dog under R.C. Chapter 955 or any substantially equivalent municipal ordinance.
(b) A person described in division (a) of this section shall microchip for permanent identification any dog owned, possessed by or in the custody of the person.
(c) (1) Division (a) of this section does not apply to any person who is confined in a correctional institution of the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
(2) Division (a) of this section does not apply to any person with respect to any dog that the person owned, possessed, had custody of or resided in a residence with prior to May 22, 2012.
(R.C. § 955.54)
(d) Whoever violates division (a) or (b) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(R.C. § 955.99(O))
(a) As used in this section:
(1) ANIMAL. Means a nonhuman mammal, bird, reptile, or amphibian, either dead or alive.
(2) OFFENSE. Means a violation of this section or an attempt, in violation of R.C. § 2923.02, to violate this section.
(3) OFFICER. Has the same meaning as in R.C. § 959.132.
(4) SEXUAL CONDUCT. Means either of the following committed for the purpose of sexual gratification:
A. Any act done between a person and animal that involves contact of the penis of one and the vulva of the other, the penis of one and the penis of the other, the penis of one and the anus of the other, the mouth of one and the penis of the other, the mouth of one and the anus of the other, the vulva of one and the vulva of the other, the mouth of one and the vulva of the other, any other contact between a reproductive organ of one and a reproductive organ of the other, or any other insertion of a reproductive organ of one into an orifice of the other;
B. Without a bona fide veterinary or animal husbandry purpose to do so, the insertion, however slight, of any part of a person’s body or any instrument, apparatus, or other object into the vaginal, anal, or reproductive opening of an animal.
(b) No person shall knowingly engage in sexual conduct with an animal or knowingly possess, sell, or purchase an animal with the intent that it be subjected to sexual conduct.
(c) No person shall knowingly organize, promote, aid, or abet in the conduct of an act involving any sexual conduct with an animal.
(R.C. § 959.21)
(d) (1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree. In addition, the court may order the offender to forfeit the animal or livestock and may provide for its disposition including but not limited to the sale of the animal or livestock. If an animal or livestock is forfeited and sold pursuant to this division, the proceeds from the sale first shall be applied to pay the expenses incurred with regard to the care of the animal from the time it was taken from the custody of the former owner. The balance of the proceeds from the sale, if any, shall be paid to the former owner of the animal.
(R.C. § 959.99(D))
(2) If a court has reason to believe that a person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of this section suffers from a mental or emotional disorder that contributed to the violation, the court may impose as a community control sanction or as a condition of probation a requirement that the offender undergo psychological evaluation or counseling. The court shall order the offender to pay the costs of the evaluation or counseling.
(R.C. § 959.99(E)(7))